A "Doll Wife" is defined as a woman who has no say in a marriage. The man is degrading to the woman and the woman has no rights. One essayist say that Nora is treated as a toy and an object, not like a human being in The Doll Wife Essay. Ibsen himself writes, "There can be no freedom or beauty about a home life that depends on borrowing and debt." Ibsen uses the master-pet analogy to show that Nora is a doll wife and has no opinions of her own, or if she does, she doesn't show them. Torvald treats Nora like a pet, just like in the picture below, he tells her what to do and when to do it.
SparkNotescharacterized Torvald as a man that wants to control and take care of his wife. He thinks that Nora needs guidence and more help than she actually does.He treats her like a doll, some one he can play with and mold into whom ever he wants. The nicknames are a sign of control, especially because he uses animal names.